A Masked Revolution
by sdde
Summary: Basically a dreamed up aftermath to the current arc involving, what I hope will be Ichigo's mega power form. No Beta. Spoilers for up to chp 331. If rating needs changing please inform me. Please Read & Review/Flame
1. A Movie Projection Dream

A Masked Revolution

**A ****Moving Projection**

"_Ino-… Orihime. This message is for you and everyone else, but… Please tell Rukia… I am sorry."_

Rukia awoke with an extreme amount of pain flowing through her body, she wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, and she wanted to give any kind of physical sign of her pain. Her body didn't have the strength; all she could do was open her eyes, breath and think, and those were a chore to accomplish. Where was she? She'd have to judge by the ceiling of the room, which meant she was inside, at best guess a tope/beige colour which meant she was in the Urahara Shoten. Why was she there? Why wasn't she dead or in Huenco Muendo?

"ICHIGO!" she somehow yelled, bathing her head in a new wave of pain, but something next to her moved in response to her efforts.

"Kuchki-san! You're awake, thank goodness!" squeaked the tearful voice of Inoue Orihime, whom Rukia couldn't see due to the inability to even roll her head to the side. She then saw two of Orihime's zanpaktōu like beings meet above her waste then split and take place at her head and feet, and she then heard the words "I reject" and the orange field surrounded her.

After a few minutes she began to feel a world of difference, she decided it was the time to start asking, "Where is everyone, Inoue?" The red haired girl's eyes flickered from their concentration as she continued healing an unknowing Rukia.

"I think it is best…" she started, "if you wait until you've healed before you begin to worry Kuchki-san." '_Worry!?' _A jolt of fear paralyzed what was remaining of Rukia's movement, what had happened after she had collapsed?

With an iron will she moved her head to look at Orihime, what she saw was not reassuring. The energy usually used for the release happiness was now holding back tears and too many bad feelings. Rukia closed her eyes dreading the near future.

The image was like an old blurry and damaged movie projection image, it showed an eye. It was black where it should have been white, the iris was golden and it could be seen behind the right (to the user) eye hole of a mask. What could be seen of the mask was white.

'_What is this?' _Rukia thought. _'A hollow? Wait, the eye is behind the mask, and it's part of a human face.' _This reminded Rukia of what she had seen of Shinji Hirako during his battle with Grimmjow. The image began to zoom out; little by little it began to show more of the masked face. The wearer's right side of the mask was completely white with the empty eye socket, where the image had originally shown, which allowed the wearer's right eye to be seen. However, the left side was different; red lines decorated it in a war paint like fashion this was displayed on all of the left side, except for the mouth section which consisted of a top and bottom row of long interlocking pin point teeth from left to right. What was most disturbing was the left eye, it was a gold iris surrounded by black but it was part of the mask itself and contained no pupil. _'Just like a regular hollow mask,' _she thought.

"**Rukia**" came a voice from behind the mask, the jaw didn't move.

"_No…" _was all she could think. It was him behind the voice, it wasn't his but he was using it, it was the voice of a monster. The image jumped; now she could see the masked creature's entire body.

She couldn't accept, wouldn't accept it. It's whole body was white and muscular except for a few single lines of red which flowed across its body, she could see a huge tail protrude from it's back moving in snake like motion; the end of which appeared as if it had been dipped in blood. Its fingers were claws and it had three white claws on it's talon like feet, similar to that of a lizard, but… It was his height; it was wearing torn remains of his bankai robes, there was no hole in its chest, and it was clutching Tensa Zangetsu in one of its hands. Yet that wasn't what disturbed her the most: the creature had a long stretch of hair coming behind the top of the mask…it was orange.

That image lasted for only half a second, but that had been enough for it to be implanted in the lone viewer's memory for rest of her existence, before it skipped back to original image of the creature's right eye. Then the mask began to form over the eye, trying to replace with one identical to the left.

"**Rukia…**" the voice repeated, "**it was fun…being with y-**" It was cut short when the eye was completely covered by the mask. Then it gave a shrill laugh with a tone that tore through Rukia's heart. He was no longer behind it; the voice's true owner was now in control. The image then skipped to a landscape image with the creature in the centre, with the grey desert of Huenco Muendo behind, its face still visible to Rukia.

"**Be quiet**," it said in a gleeful and mocking whisper, the mask's mouth now moved with the voice, a sickeningly wide grin formed on the jaw behind the mask, "**MY TIME AS KING IS NOW!**" it yelled; filling Rukia's mind, and then it laughed that cold and bloodcurdling laugh toward the sky.

Then the image vanished.

------------------

A/N: First attempt at current time, apologies if crud. I hope nothing was OOC, but it's hard to avoid with Ogihci. There is more to this already but it contains way too much OOC for me to post. If it's crud feel free to complain.


	2. Waking Into A Nightmare

**Waking into a Nightmare**

Rukia awakened with that laugh still ringing through her head, and dull pain running through her body, '_What the hell was that… thing!?_' was the first thought she gathered in response. That dream, that _thing_, was not something she could ignore. It could turn out to be nothing more than a dream and that would be fine, that would be great, but if… '_No!_' she screamed to herself. It wasn't anything else! It was just a sick dream that her exhausted mind had cooked up from seeing Hirako Shinji and the other Vaizard, as they called themselves, fight against both Aizen and his arrancar.

Remembering that little detail brought Rukia back to the world around her, where was she? She was on her back looking up and she identified the ceiling of her bedroom in the Kuchiki mansion in Seireitei, which was a little worrying since she had fallen asleep in the Urahara Shoten with Orihime by her side. _'How long did that dream last?'_

She moved her body to sit up and confirmed she was in her bed but a firm hand clasped her shoulder and gently pushed her back into the pillows. "You need to rest, Rukia, so I recommend you do so," said the stern voice of Kuchiki Byakuya, after hearing this she looked up straight into her brother's disciplined eyes, they were unreadable as ever.

"Nii-sama," she responded weakly in disbelief, her brother remained silent and unmoving from his sitting position of the bed next to her right hand side, his stare ensuring that she remained still also. Under normal circumstances Rukia's silence would have been continued but there were too many answers that she needed to ask, she didn't know if her brother would answer them but the chance was too great to ignore. "When was I brought here, Byakuya nii-sama?"

"Around one hour after I was informed you awakened, which was reported by Inoue Orihime, that was three hours ago," Byakuya's voice remained neutral as he answered, and he evidently sensed Rukia's still present curiousity, "To answer your next question; the majority of your friends are still located in the Urahara Shoten, the exceptions being Abarai Renji, whom is resting in the fourth division, and Kurosaki Ichigo." Rukia felt a sharp sadness rush through her at those words, the fact her brother stated Renji's location but not Ichigo's indicating that he didn't know Ichigo's whereabouts. This made her worry. "What is wrong, Rukia, would you have preferred to have remained in the realm of the living?"

"That isn't what is worrying me, nii-sama, I admit I want to be with my friends but I am more comfortable here," Rukia remained polite and answered the second half of the question first, but she continued by asking what she needed answering. "Where is Ichigo?" Byakuya was clearly troubled by this question, not in expression but in action. He turned his gaze from her and rested his chin on his hands, which in turn were supported by his knees at the elbows.

"I am afraid the location of Kurosaki is unknown at this time, but his last known location was the human world where he fought with Aizen Sosuke," the regal shinigami responded with evident caution, as if he were predicting the new wave of anxiety that washed over Rukia. What if her dream… she didn't even want to consider that possibility, if her dream was anywhere near the truth it would hurt beyond belief. "Rukia," her brother's, now surprisingly gentle, voice broke through her worries, "I understand your concerns for the boy, but I would not expect your eyes to contain as much dread. It is as if you fear a specific possibility so I ask you; what is this possibility and why do you believe it to be truth?"

Rukia was very surprised that her brother could read her so well, considering they spent very little time in each other's company beyond the occasional meal when their duties did not conflict. She wondered if it was her strong resemblance to Hisana that allowed him such ability, but no matter the reason it didn't change the fact that he was right. However, she didn't believe she could validate her concerns over something as trivial as a dream to Byakuya, he would surely consider her foolish. Yet, she felt she had to answer his concerned stare, which was something she had barely ever seen, "A dream, nii-sama," the stern eyes did not become dismissive they were serious and alert, she rolled her head to the left to escape them as she finished her answer, "I saw a monster. A hollow, I believed it to be him but it was different from his Vaizard form. He lost control."

She instantly felt Byakuya place his hand carefully place his hand around her chin and pull her face back round to face him, "A dream is simply that, a dream.," he said, bringing his arm back to his side and letting go of her chin. "Do not presume it is truth, but I would not discard it as nothing either. I personally have seen evidence to suggest what you saw is quite possible."

"What!?" Rukia half-screamed, shooting up into a sitting position despite her aches, although reduced they were still there. She lost all sense of manners, but right now she didn't care, "I knew he'd had problems I even helped him overcome his fear of them, but has he actually lost control before!?" Byakuya nodded in response to which she brought a hand to her forehead and crashed back into her pillow, _'Why? Why? Why? Why didn't I realise this was part of his reason for fearing his powers!?'_ She'd thought that Ichigo's inner hollow had never gained total control even though it had at least affected him. She believed the training with the Vaizard had helped him overcome it completely. This changed things in her mind set, it added a whole new level of probability to her nightmare, and this was when she decided she needed answers, she turned to her brother, her soul burning with resolve, "Nii-sama, I wish to go back to the human world. I have questions for both Hirako and Urahara…" she paused slightly at the name before adding, dangerously, "especially Urahara."

Byakuya didn't question her, he simply stood and walked to the door, but before exiting the room he stated, "I will make the proper arrangements and see what I can do ensure Hirako's presence. I will accompany you as well and inform Abarai, I believe he will wish to present as well." With those unexpected words Byakuya left Rukia with her thoughts, her surprise muted by her growing worries. She had many questions to ask but she prayed she wouldn't need to ask all of them if someone could answer the most important one. _'Where is Ichigo!?'_

_--_

A/N: Well that took long enough, didn't it? And did it really answer anything or move along? No. Hooray for pointlessness (ahh, I smell filler... well it isn't meant to be). I have written more and it is more exciting, I hope, it's just I feel it's better separate and I haven't really finished it yet. Seriously though please give your opinion, bad or good. You may, or may not, be pleased to read I've given up on being cannon anymore, so as of chapter 332 I cannot guarantee matching up with manga but it means I can update a little quicker (I type that now) if anyone wants this continued. Pls R&R/F.


	3. Delusional Reality

**Delusional Reality**

Only after twenty minutes alone in her room she was informed by one of the servants that she and her brother would be leaving for the human world. However, that was ample time for Rukia to mentally prepare herself for anything that Urahara or Hirako could declare as truth, while planning every possible method of extracting that truth. She almost wished that Urahara would hold back something; in the knowledge torturing the shopkeeper in particular would relieve some of her stress.

She had dressed herself relatively quickly into her uniform, making sure Sode no Shirayuki was secure in her sash. With that she had followed her brother to the now former execution grounds where the emergency Senkai gate stood. Renji had arrived seconds after the two nobles, his face fixed in stone cold focus. She spared him a cursory glance, happy to see him relatively free of injury, but turned her eyes to the gate and was now doing all she could to glare a hole into the guard to make him hurry up.

"Captain Kuchiki Byakuya of the Sixth Squad, Lieutenant Abarai Renji of the Sixth Squad and Kuchiki Rukia of the thirteenth squad are hereby allowed to pass through the Senkai Gate." The guard read the declaration as if it was important, '_Damn bureaucrats!_' she thought in frustration. This wasn't even an official transition between the worlds, her brother had been so insistent on getting to the real world quickly that they were using the same route that Rukia's friend had used to leave Soul Society after saving her.

Both Renji and Byakuya ran ahead of her with their superior flash steps to her own but she wasn't far left behind. Their speed was necessary to avoid the possibility of encountering a cleaner passing through the inter-dimensional gateway, especially since this was the scheduled day for the process.

The journey went by free of event and soon Rukia could see the light of the gate which would lead Urahara's basement rapidly approaching. Her brother gave one simple look back to her, and she knew it was evidence that he did truly care for her, before passing through the gateway first. Renji acted in kind and tried to give her a reassuring smile as he did to which she replied with an appreciative nod, and only a second after her childhood friend she entered the wall of light.

Something was wrong. She had passed through the Senkai Gate but she wasn't in the Urahara Shoten… and as Rukia looked around she realised she hadn't left the light of the gateway and she was… She wasn't anywhere! Her shinigami training had always told her to react rationally to any situation whether it be impossible or absurd; needless to say she failed to completely suppress her panic.

White, all there was to see was a blank and never ending white. It was an endless nothing with Rukia simply floating free of resistance in the middle. This place didn't meet the meaning of reality, "What's happening!? Where is this!?" Her words were yelled in an angry bluff as she drew Sode no Shirayuki but there was no answer, not even an echo. The single sound in the void was the sword shaking in her hand.

After an eternal 10 seconds of nothing Rukia was hit by what felt like a sudden blast of air, forcing her to raise her sword to guard her eyes. The next sensation came as the wind died away; she fell from her floating position and her feet landed on a hard surface. It sounded like, "Glass?"

Once again Rukia surveyed her surroundings, her guard stance set ready for anything, and found a significant change. The void had been replaced with a cityscape that reminded her of Karakura's skyscraper filled financial section with two significant differences. One was that the 'city' was deserted and was coated in the same silence as the void it had filled, this difference was acceptable. The second, however, it was horizontal and she was on a window of one of the office like structures that would have been at least 30 stories up if the building was vertical as logic would dictate.

"What is this place?" she asked to no one, her trained calm finally taking complete hold. She remained alert and kept Sode no Shirayuki raised but still no sound met her ears until…

_Drip_

A drop of blood passed just in front of her left eye before falling past her face and hitting the floor, her vision never leaving the crimson droplet. Instinctively Rukia then lifted her head back to look upward. She collapsed to her knees and dropped Sode no Shirayuki as she took in the horror above her,_ 'No, no, no…NO! NO! NO! NO!'_ was the best mental reaction she could muster.

"ICHIGO!" her terrified scream ripped through the silence of the sideways universe. She closed her eyes praying that what she had just witnessed wasn't true, she needed it to not be true.

"**That answer your question, Chibi-Queen? The king only needs the horse to be alive. Hahahaha! Yaha, haha!**" That laugh, that voice.

"NOOOO!"

"RUKIA!" Renji's bellow saved Rukia from further torment from the twisted laugh, "Rukia! Are you okay!?"

"Thank goodness," Rukia whispered weakly as relief flooded her body. She was in the same kneeling position as she had been before Renji's shaking but that sight was nowhere to be seen and the laugh was gone, "Thank goodness." She shoved Renji away from her body and immediately fell forward to lean on her hands and promptly threw up whatever was in her stomach.

"Kuchiki-san," Orihime's worried voice broke through as Rukia felt a comforting hand grasp her shoulder, "what's wrong, are you okay? What happened?" The girl sounded very eager but scared to know the truth. It was obvious to Rukia that Orihime had been in love with Ichigo from before the time Rukia had met him and as a result it was impossible for Rukia to answer. She couldn't do that the innocent girl she considered her best female friend.

"Please tell me first, Orihime, what did you just see?" Rukia asked between large breaths with sweat dripping from her brow and not lifting her gaze from the soil of the training ground. She desperately wanted to stall any answer she had to give.

"After you passed through the gate you appeared to be unaware of anything around you, Rukia. You spoke as if you believed you were in another place, which frightened you," Byakuya stated before Orihime had the chance. "You acted as if you expected attack and even drew you zanpaktou before screaming and falling to your knees. In a word you were delusional." Her brother explained unseen as Rukia threw up once again at the memories of what she had seen in the sideways city.

"Rukia-nee-san?" The new voice made the said shinigami lift her head in shock.

"Karin-chan?" she asked staring at the black haired girl now standing in front of with a look of concern across her young face. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for my idiot brother, like the rest of the family," Karin solemnly answered. After this she pointed behind her shoulder and Rukia gasped at the sight of a crying Yuzu being comforted in the arms of an Isshin Kurosaki. He wore an expression that contained a seriousness that she would have deemed impossible for her brother let alone Isshin Kurosaki. Karin then offered her hand to help Rukia stand which the petite woman accepted and, with little extra help from Orihime, Rukia got back on her feet. "Guessing from how you were acting it's not good, is it?" The girl asked trying to maintain a strong image but tears were threatening to leak from the usually dry dark brown eyes.

Rukia literally pulled the young child into a hug and clutched her strongly. Tears crept from Rukia's eyes as she remembered what she had seen…She would live through her dream from before a thousand times over if guaranteed that image would be false. "I'm sorry…"she began to whisper.

Ichigo had been impaled to the building above Rukia's head by pairs of needle-like spikes positioned through his shoulders, several points on either side of his torso, his thighs and shines. What had held him place were the barbed wire strands that connected each pair of spikes and a result the wire had cut through his shinigami robes and begun to sink into his flesh. Ichigo's head had been allowed to dangle, his eyes were closed and blood covered almost his entire body. Then **it** had mocked and laughed as she saw him suffer.

"…I can't tell you what I saw," Rukia continued whilst crying and strengthening her hold on Karin. "Whether or not it was real, I would never forgive myself if I did."

--

A/N: Again sorry for the long update -sigh- I hate Uni. Anyway, once again nothing is explained but I'm just trying to get across my theory for the process of Ogihici becoming king. I'll explain the Kurosakis' presence and obviously try to get somewhere with the title idea, which I do have. The questions that I kept mentioning last chap will be asked next time at the very least. Please ask Q's and R&R/F.


End file.
